An electronics device conventionally includes enclosed electronic components. When the electronic components operate, heat is produced and accumulates. The resulting high temperature can adversely affect the performance and life of the electronic components. This is particularly true for applications where the space inside the electronics device is relatively small.
Electronic cooling systems have been developed to transfer heat away from electronic components and dissipate heat. Some such systems include a heat pipe or a heat sink. For example, a heat pipe transfers heat to a wall that is exposed to free moving air to wick away heat. To be effective, the heat pipe needs to be in good contact with the wall. If the heat pipe can move out of contact with the wall or if only a fraction of the intended surface area of the heat pipe is touching the wall, heat will not transfer to the wall and will become trapped in the device. As a result, the electronic components can overheat.
One attempt at keeping the heat pipe in contact with a wall has been to embed the heat pipe in the wall. However, embedding a heat pipe in a wall is difficult and expensive. More often, a heat pipe is attached to a board using a bracket. However, since the heat pipe is attached to the board and not the wall, the heat pipe can move out of contact with the wall. The heat pipe can also be attached to a wall using a bracket. This arrangement presents a number of problems since holes are formed in the wall to receive screws to attach the bracket. The problems include: loss of aesthetics from having screws projecting through holes in the wall, reduced heat transfer due to holes in the wall, and increased difficulty in assembling the electronics device. In addition, the bracket does not electrically isolate the heat pipe. Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.